Places to visit - Sightseeings

Chora was once the capital town of Kalymnos in the center of the island. Above the town stands a big fortress of a Byzantine construction, built 300m above sea level. It comprises ruins of houses and cisterns and nine churches, two of which are renowned for their frescos. The view from the fortress is one of the most beautiful. Below you spread the valley of Pothia and the port, the gleaming sea and the island of Kos in the distance.

Not far from Chora stands the Temple of the Kalydnian Apollo, a remnant of the Hellenistic period, built in Doric style. Parts of this ancient temple were used to build the church of “Jesus Christ of Jerusalem” believed to have been commissioned by Saint Helen or by the Byzantine Emperor Arcadius.

There are many other sites of interest; among them the fortress of Kastelli, just past the resort of Massouri, the picturesque island of Telendos, where the ruined Byzantine fortress of St. Constantine is situated and the gigantic Neolithic fort of Emporio. On the other side of the island in Vathi, within Hellenistic walls stand the ruins of a Paleo-Christian basilica. Also, worth visiting are the tombs at Damos, the church of Saint John in Argos and many others. Local sponge factories will undoubtedly brief you on the sponge fishing and processing methods which are known to be friendly to the environment.